Music instructor for children



Oa. 20l 1925. 1,558,257

' H. FISHER ETAL MUSIC INSTRUCTOR FOR CHILDREN Filed Aug. s) 1924 IN VEN TOR v RYSGW EN@ Q`Q\QX.

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A TTORNE YS Patented Oct'. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD FISHER, F CHICAGO, AND DIECY HOOBLER, OF STREATOR, ILLINOIS.

MUSIC INSTRUCTOR FOR CHILDREN.

Application tiled August 9, 1924. Serial No. 731,164'.

To all whom 'it may come/m.:

Be it known that We7 HnoLn FisHnn and Diner Hooniimt; both citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Chicago, county of Cook,` and Stateof Illinois, and Streator,

county of La Salle, and State of Illinois, respectively', have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Music Instructors for Children, of whichthe followingr is a t'ull` clear, 10 and exact description.

Our invention relates to improvements in musical instructors forchildren` and consists in the combinations7 constructions, andarrangements herein described and claimed` An object of our invention isto provide a device of the type described by n'ieans ot which childrenmay become readily acquainted with the relation of the position ot thenotes upon the stati to the position of Y0 the keys upon a piano.

A further object of our invention to provide a device of the typedescribed by ineans of which the relationship between the diatonic scaleand the keys of the piano a re easily made.

Afurther object of our invention is to provide a device'of the typedescribed in which a plurality of strips, each represent.- ing a notehaving a predetermined position on a stall' are suspended from a commonsupport in such a manner as to permit the movement of the stripsrelative to one another or the removal of any one or more ot the stripsat will, thusl permittingT the arrangement of simple melodies and thelike upon the stall". W'hen the device is used in this connection, thevarious notes of course cannot be suspended in'imediatelufv above thecorresponding keys of the piano.

A further object of our invention is to provide a` device of the typedescribed which may' be placed upon the keys of the piano andremoveditherefrom at will without in any way damaging or marring thekeyboard and adjacent parts.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel means fordesignating the relation of the black keys of the keyboard with theWhite keys.

A further object of our invention is vto provide a device of the typedescribed which is simple in construction, durable, and thoroughlyellieient for the purpose intended.

` r objects and advantages will appear in the followingf specification,and the novel features oi the invention will be particularly jointedout' in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanyinpr drawings7 forming partot this application. in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an ein-Viuidiment ot' our invention, in place upon the keyboard ot a piano, and

Figure Q is a sectional view along the line of Figure 1.

In carrying out our invention we make use. of a pair of upright members1, parallel, and spaced apart 'from' one another by a pair ot parallelhorizontal members The members 1 and 2 are preferably constructed ofwood and properly finished.

Two horizontally disposed base pieces 3 are fixed at the lower endet theupright members l so that the frame so formed may rest upon the whitekeys ai. of a piano keyboard, (see Figure l). Then the device sodisposed on a keyboard. the trame is in a vertical plane.

sheet' of cardboard :iis fixed upon the Ytrame so as to lic in front ofthe horizontally disposed cross pieces This cardboard extends downwardlyadjacent to the bottom of the frame, but sutiiciently hin'h to clear theblack keys 6 ot' the keyboard. as shown in Figure l..

The cardboard 5 has imprinted thereupon designs representing tents asshown at 7.

Those designs above the `groups of two oli' the black keys G are smallerin siZe than the designs disposed immediately above the groups of threeoit the black keys 6. This is so that the child may easily distinguishbetween the groups ot' black keys.

Seven cords 8 to 14 inclusive are stretched between the upright members1 at equally spaced distances from one another and are parallel withrespect to one another. The cords 9 to 13 inclusive are dyed blackthrong-hout their length, while the cords 8 and 14 have only a portionintermediate their length dyed black as shown at 16 and 17 respectively.The cords 8 and 11 represent those lines above and below the stati. The'cords 9 to 13 inclusive represent the tive lines of the stati'.

A plurality of cardboard strips 2O to 34 inclusive are each providedwith a portion 35 at their uppermost end which is turned back upon thebody of the strip so as to permit the strip to be hung upon the up redge 35 of the cardboard 5, (see Figure 2 The strips 20 to 27 inclusivehave figures thereupon representing notes in the diatonic scale asfollows: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, te, do.

The strip 27 has figures representingr C iu the diatonic scale on thefirst line above the staff, that is, in registration with the cord 8,and an inscription representing C on the first line below the staff, i.e., the line 14. The figures on the strips 20 to 26 inclusive are inregistration with the lines represented by the cords 8 to 12 inclusive,and the spaces between those lines. For other scales these relations aresimilar, but do does not correspond with the eighth and fourteenthlines.

The strips 28 to 34 inclusive have their figures imprinted thereuponrepresenting notes in the diatonic scale from re to do, do being inregistration with the space represented by the cords 10 and 11, andimmediately above the key C natural of the piano designated at 37.

The strips 20 to 34 inclusive are exactly as wide as the keys 4 of thepiano, and the various notes represented by the figures on the stripsare dis osed immediately above the corresponding Ikeys of the piano, sothat a child upon viewing the assembly of figures on the strips, theirrelationship with with the cords 8 to 14 inclusive, and their positionrelative to one another may easily grasp the relationship between theprinted notes on the ordinary musical composition and the keys of thepiano.

The black keys of the piano are represented by the tents 7.

In order that children may have a greater interest in the work ofbecoming acquainted with the relationship of notes upon the stafl'l withthe keys of the piano, we have incorporated designs representing noteson the strips 20 to 34 inclusive of figures dressed in foot ball regala,golf costume, etc., three of which are shown in the strips 20 to 22inclusive. All the strips would have similar figures which would appealto the eye of the child. In each case the dark portion representing thenote proper would be in the form of a cap or hat worn by the figuresrepresented.

A further advantage in the use of our improved musical instructor isthat it possesses, in the design of the prints 7, a means fordesignating the relationship between the black and the white keys of thekeyboard.

By` the use of our improved musical instructoi` scales, chords, or anycombination of notes used in musical instruction, may be readilyvisualized by the child or student, and the relationship between thenotes thereof with the keys of the piano easily established.

We claim: 1. A musical instructor for children oom-l 'l arising asupporting-member arranged te,

placed in "ertical position u on the ke board of a piano, cords attachein par el '(5 relation to said keyboard, representing. the` lines of amusical stati, and removablel members adapted for disposition upon saidsupporting member and arranged to lie in backof said cords, said membershaving legends imprinted thereon re resenting notes of a; diatonic scaleand a apted 'to lie :inV z -n tration with one of thewrd'!" 'l tween thecords, wherebythe "i tsm be moved on said supporting memblltl i pointsubstantially in registrattniwith i corresponding key of. .th6

2. A musical instructor iol' childrekmms prising a supporting memberplaced in a vertica position upon 15110.- 1 board of a piano, cordastretched in pnr e relationship with said keyboard refe ing the lines ofa musical staff, ciated with said supportin member and il, with saidcords and keyboar for visibl if dicating the relationship between'the fof said keyboard and the sition'of, y, corresponding notes on `saimusical said means comprising a plurality of arranged for suspensionin avertical .1a tion upon said supporting member, :1 `imi? registrationwith a key of said keyboard, said strips having designsprinted ther-aumrepresenting the notesfof a diatonic v 3. A musical instructor forchildren com?" prising a supporting member a v if be placed in avertical position upon keyboard of a piano, cords parallel relationshipwith said Y, y representing the linls o e musica l mi means associatewit sai sup kiibosrd ist ....Lssssun hij position upon saidisup i'member, in registration with a z tof said key said strips havingdesigns printed lll r; upon representing the notes of adiatnureea scale,said designs being in the character figures of particular'-'inteires|;,tuy children, the heads of said figuresrepresel ingthe'notes. l 4. A musical instructor- Ffor character described;comprising` e supportw v ing member arranged to be laced upgmiw`=`= .1piano keyboard, a plurality .o parallel` zontally disposed cordsmetehed`wrom` supporting member, said cords "f the lines. of a musicai staf; ap urnlttyl,4 l strips and means for suspending said v9" n cal strips onsaid supporting In, registration with the keyss laf-said keyboar," l*

mateix-.nein z L said strips being provided with designs printedthereupon representing notes of a diatonic scale, and so disposed as tolie in registration with said cords and with the space between saidcords.

A musical instructor for children of the character described, comprisinga supporting member arranged to be placed upon a piano keyboard, aplurality of parallel horizontally disposed cords stretched across saidsupporting member, said cords representing the lines of a musical stai,a plurality of strips and means for suspending said vertical strips onsaid supporting member in registration with the keys of said. keyboard7said stri s being provided with designs printed tiereupon representingnotes of a diatonic scale, and so disposed as to lie in registrationwith said cords and with the space between said cords, and meansassociated with said supporting member for visibly iinlicatingbr theposition of the grouping of the black keys of said piano keyboard.

DIECY HOOBLER. HAROLD FISHER.

